


The Plague Arc

by CrypticGirl



Category: Flight Rising
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2020-10-10 14:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20529224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGirl/pseuds/CrypticGirl
Summary: For the proud warrior, Qubine, everything changed in one night, from a clan living in peace to waking up on the verge of death from a plague unleashed by the Plaguebringer herself.  Qubine's only hope to save them is to raise a whole new clan of his own.  Can the old clan hold on long enough?  Can the new clan survive with the plague and other worldly dangers running rampant?  There will be angst, hurt and comfort, but there will also be growth and perseverance.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Flight Rising Nuzlocke story that I started way back in 2014, and I'm now revising and hopefully improving it. The listed archive warnings don't necessarily apply to the prologue, but there will be violence and death in the future chapters.

The clan had been founded and living in peace for about a year, with Usha and Grim as the matriarch and patriarch. They were indeed considered an "odd couple," as Grim was a Fae who preferred to take out his enemies quickly by physical means rather than sit back and cast spells. Usha, a Mirror dragon, realized that the clan would not survive without healing, so she chose to give up her physical strength for magic. Their third teammate was another Mirror named Qubine, and he was considered the top warrior of the clan. Together, these three were the pillars that kept the clan safe from anything that would bring harm to the clan so that the other dragons may live in peace and happiness.

Usha loved more than anything to see her dragons with mates, so she actively hunted throughout Sornieth for potential mates for all the singles in the clan. Perhaps the only thing she loved more than playing matchmaker was to see the beautiful hatchlings her pairs had birthed. Although most hatchlings leave to lead their own lives upon maturing, Usha just loved to see the babies.

The clan lived in the Viridian Labyrinth, always watched over by the Gladekeeper. The lair was divided into "dens," separate clearings in the lair for mates or siblings to share their place to sleep on a bed of leaves. There were also separate dens for their hoard, divided into sections for food, apparel, special trinkets, and of course, junk.

As the pillars of the clan, Usha, Grim, and Qubine not only protected their clan, but they participated in all the elemental festivals that took place in Sornieth, decorating and dressing themselves to fit the holiday theme. The clan had a healthy respect for all of the eleven deities, even if they weren't particularly __fond__ of all of them. They recognized that the Eleven brought balance to the forces of nature, and preserving that balance was of the utmost importance, lest Sornieth, nay, the entire world, would suffer catastrophic consequences.

But, over a single night, Qubine's life was turned upside down.

The mighty Mirror warrior woke up in his den one morning, with his mate, the beautiful ice-blue Spiral named Shayla, waking beside him. Qubine glanced at her, and could immediately sense that something was wrong. Shayla's icy-blue eyes lacked her usual warmth and radiance; instead she looked pale, unable to even look Qubine in the eye.

"Good morning, Qubine..." Shayla muttered in her attempt to shrug it off, or at least hide it from her mate, despite knowing how utterly futile it was.

Qubine watched her closely for a moment, slowly moving closer. "What is it, Shayla? Are you all right?"

Shayla wanted to laugh, but couldn't even manage a chuckle. If Qubine had to ask her that, he knew she wasn't all right. She crawled over to him, lightly embracing him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I just...I don't feel good..."

Qubine carefully pryed her from his shoulder to look her in the eye. "All right, just rest. You'll be all right..."

Shayla looked into his eyes, managing a weak smile. Her smile quickly faded as she began to stumble in place. Her vision began to blur as she blinked hard, trying to focus her gaze on Qubine.

"Shayla?" Qubine focused his gaze on her in turn, as if trying to project his own strength into her.

The gaze did nothing, as blood began to trickle from Shayla's nostrils, and she began to hyperventilate.

"Shayla??" Qubine called out to her, more desperately now.

The Spiral tipped over, collapsing into the leaves. Qubine moved closer to her, nuzzling her.

"Shayla? _Shayla!"_ Panic began to overwhelm him as he looked around frantically. "Usha! Grim! Someone!"

He turned his attention back to Shayla again. She was still hyperventilating, no longer looking at him, a vacant expression in her eyes.

_What is wrong with her?_ Qubine thought. _If this is an illness, it's the most bizarre one I've ever seen..._

The next few moments felt like hours had passed. Qubine looked around once more, and yet no one was coming.

"Where is everyone?" Qubine wondered aloud. _"Usha!!"_

Another long moment passed, and still no response. Qubine continued to focus on Shayla, pondering to himself. There was only one reason why no one would respond to his calls, though he hoped against all hope that he was wrong.

"Don't tell me..." He stopped the thought before it could finish processing. He'd have to check on the rest of the clan, but he didn't want to leave Shayla like this. However, he had no choice.

"Shayla..." He leaned in towards her, making sure that she felt his presence. Her breaths were now slow and labored, which wasn't much of an improvement compared to the hyperventilating. "I'll be back. Just hold on."

Thankfully, Usha and Grim's den wasn't far away; in fact, it was just right next to Qubine and Shayla's. Qubine dashed right into the den.

"Usha!" He stopped immediately at the sight. The pink Mirror lay in the leaves, also with blood trickling from her nose. Qubine moved in to get a closer look. Usha appeared to be unconscious; Qubine leaned in close to check her vital signs, listening for her heartbeat by pressing his head against her back. She was alive at least. But where was Grim?

Qubine only had to glance a few feet away to find the white Fae half-buried in the leaves. Moving towards him, Qubine gently swept the leaves away with a massive paw, revealing Grim, also unconscious with blood dribbling from his nose.

"By the Eleven, what is happening...? Surely the whole clan isn't like this..."

So he checked on the rest of the clan, rushing from one den to the next, only to find the rest of the dragons in the same condition. Defeated, Qubine returned to his own den to check on Shayla. The Spiral had lost consciousness in his absence. Qubine rested his head against her thin body, listening for her heartbeat. She was still alive. Qubine plopped himself next to her, lost on what to do for the first time in his life. But that feeling wouldn't last long.

_"Qubine..."_

The Mirror picked himself up, recognizing the sound of the Gladekeeper's serene voice softly echoing around him.

"_Come to me,_" the voice beckoned him.

Qubine only moved even closer to Shayla. "This is not the time, Gladekeeper! Can't you see what's happening!?"

"_I see it. That is why I need you._"

Qubine frowned at Shayla one last time. Perhaps the Gladekeeper had some answers, because right now, he sure didn't. "All right..."

Wanting to get there quickly, and knowing the arrangement of the trees, Qubine leaped up to the center of the trunks, jumping off them towards the clearing where the clan normally visited their deity. The Gladekeeper's stature rose high above the trees; the dragons couldn't see her through the leaves and branches while on the ground, they were only able to hear her voice. Qubine approached the center of the clearing, where he bowed his head.

"Gladekeeper," he said, announcing his presence. "I'm here."

_"Qubine..." _the Gladekeeper called softly to him. __"_There is a plague, unleashed by the Plaguebringer herself. Everyone in the clan is infected. Everyone but you."_

"Why?" Qubine asked. He didn't even need to guess why the Plaguebringer would unleash this plague. It was just in her nature. Qubine clarified his question. "Why was I the only one unaffected?"

_ "Perhaps...because of your strength?" _

"That doesn't make any sense. Usha and Grim are strong; why were they infected?"

_ "They are Nature dragons. Those aligned with Nature do not fare well against Plague." _

"Ah, of course..." Qubine let out an exasperated sigh, unable to argue with the deity's reasoning. Qubine himself was an Ice dragon, an element that was strong against Plague. "So, how serious is this? What can I do?"

_ "It is very serious. Gondor, Aerona, Conan, and Athena have already died. If the plague is not cured, the others will eventually die as well. I cannot say how long it will take..." _

Qubine stared at nothing in particular, his mind full of questions and unpleasant thoughts. The thought of losing his closest friends - Usha, Grim, Sabori, Azalea...and especially losing Shayla - was unthinkable. It was that line of thought that bolstered his resolve.

"I have to do something," he declared. "I have to save them."

__"_Yes..." _the Gladekeeper agreed. __"_But you cannot do it alone. You will need a new clan to battle the plague and protect your friends."_

"A new clan? How do I form a new clan?"

_ "That is for you to decide. This should help you start." _

A thick vine slowly descended through the branches above, cradling a brown egg with healthy green leaves sprouting from the top. Qubine recognized it immediately. A single dragon egg was going to help him start a new clan? Perhaps if the hatchling turned out to be female, they could mate and create more dragons...even though it would break Qubine's heart to mate with anyone other than Shayla. But she would understand that it would be necessary to protect her. The whole clan knew that there was nothing that Qubine wouldn't do to protect Shayla.

"An egg," Qubine acknowledged, his voice neutral. "How close is it to hatching?"

_ "It should hatch any moment." _

Qubine fell silent, closely watching the egg. Sure enough, after a few moments, the leaves fell from the top of the egg. The pod sprouted open, revealing a Mirror hatchling with a brown body and azure wings. After opening its eyes, it began to take in the sights of the trees surrounding him, looking around until he spotted the adult Mirror behind it. It greeted him with a chirp and a tilt of its head. Qubine reached forward with a paw, lifting the hatchling by the tail to peek between its legs.

"It's a male," he said, disappointed as he released the tail.

_ "Good luck, Qubine..." _

"Thanks...I suppose..." Qubine said, looking back down at the hatchling. "It looks like it's up to us."

The hatchling tilted its head. Qubine simply shook his head. _This poor hatchling has no idea what's going on_, he thought. _And honestly, I can't help feeling a little envious..._

"Come here, you..." Qubine scooped up the hatchling into his paws and glided his way back to his den. Shayla was still sprawled across the leaves, just as he had left her. Setting the hatchling down, Qubine once again checked her vital signs, sighing with relief. The hatchling stumbled over to her curiously, sniffing at her talons, then carefully nudged at them with his head. Qubine watched the interaction carefully; it seemed that the hatchling could sense that something was wrong.

_ Perhaps he's not as oblivious as I'd thought... _

The hatchling pulled away from Shayla, glancing back at Qubine sadly, as if to ask what was wrong.

"She's sick," Qubine told him simply. "Everyone is sick. We have to make them well again..."

He paused, realizing that the hatchling didn't even have a name yet. Qubine studied the hatchling's features, wondering what name would fit a brown-colored dragon.

"Coco." The name seemed to come from his mouth before it even entered his mind.

The hatchling perked up at the name.

_He must like the name,_ Qubine thought.

Even with this hatchling, Qubine was still unsure of how to proceed, aside from waiting for Coco to grow up. He was thankful that dragons only took just less than a week to mature.

"Gladekeeper," Qubine called out again. "Do you know how the clan was infected? Was the plague in the air, or in the food?"

_"I do not know..."_ the Gladekeeper responded. __"I'm sorry..."__

Qubine sighed. "Then we can't take any chances. We have to assume that all of the food is contaminated. We'll have to dispose of it and gather a fresh supply."

_"Your clan mates may not eat much,"_ the Gladekeeper told him.

"But they have to eat," Qubine protested. "They have to maintain whatever strength they have left."

Coco gave him an inquisitive look. Qubine looked back down at him, filling his agenda with seemingly impossible tasks. Dispose of their entire food supply, and then gather enough food to keep the entire clan fed.

"That's right..." Qubine said to the hatchling. "You and I certainly have our work cut out for us."

Coco looked down at the ground with a disappointed frown. Qubine glanced over at Shayla's prone form.

"I share your sentiment..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qubine continues to feed and care for his clan while also caring for his new hatchlings.

They continued this work until both sacks were filled. Qubine stood before the sacks, nodding in approval. Looking around for Coco, he spotted the hatchling nudging one more object towards him with his head...but it wasn't a boulder. It was an oval-shaped object with tiny lightning bolts crackling within the shell - it was a Lightning egg. Qubine's mouth gaped open for a second before collecting himself and stepping up to Coco to get a closer look.

"Where did you find this?" he asked as if the hatchling could actually answer. "What's a Lightning egg doing in Dragonhome?"

Coco scrambled and parked himself beside the egg, looking up at the adult Mirror with a puzzled expression. Qubine frowned, pondering. Dragonhome was quite a distance from the Shifting Expanse, so it was no accident that the egg had ended up here. Stolen, perhaps? By whom? Or did the parents decide to migrate to Dragonhome after birthing the eggs? Perhaps the dragon eggs would be easier to transport than live hatchlings.

Qubine took a quick look around the immediate vicinity before deciding what to do with the egg.

"Stay here and keep an eye on that egg," he ordered Coco.

With that, he wandered away from the hatchling, the egg, and the sacks of boulders to investigate the nearby crags for the possible parents of the egg or any living creature that might have stolen it. However, there was nothing. It was like this part of Dragonhome had been completely abandoned.

"Fine with me," Qubine told himself. Returning to his loot, he added to Coco, "We should take this with us. It might even be a dragon for you to breed with, to help build our new clan."

Coco hopped in place, happy with the idea. So Qubine began to prepare for the flight home; he tied both sacks to either side of his waist, waited for Coco to climb onto his back, and gathered the Lightning egg carefully into his paws. He then pushed himself into the air, beating his wings against the air to gain altitude while the heavy sacks of boulders threatened to weigh him down. Fortunately, the Viridian Labyrinth was a rather short flight away.

Once Qubine made it back to the lair, he unfastened the sacks of boulders next to the food hoard. Now they just needed a fire source. The humidity in the Nature region made it impossible to simply rub twigs together.

"Now we just need to make a quick trip to the Scorched Forest," Qubine pointed out.

As much as he hated to leave the Lightning egg unattended, he saw little choice in the matter. He carried the egg into the den and set it beside Shayla's sleeping form. Thieves would be less likely to steal it if a dragon was nearby, even if said dragon was powerless to do anything. Qubine then fetched a smaller sack and allowed Coco to mount him once more.

"Let's go."

The task to gather twigs and kindling was much shorter than the previous task, taking only twenty to thirty minutes. The branches and twigs gathered here were much drier than those of the Viridian Labyrinth, making them far more ideal for building fires. When they returned to the lair, Qubine wedged the kindling stick in various points all over the food pile. He then took two more branches, rubbing them together until the friction caused a small flame to erupt. From there, Qubine lit the ends of the branches stuck in the food pile.

Now he had to be quick about arranging the boulders around the pile to contain the flames. Dumping the boulders from the sacks, he pushed them in a circle around the pile. One layer would be sufficient, but Qubine added a couple more layers on top for good measure. Satisfied with the arrangement, Qubine stepped back beside Coco to watch it. The fire was barely visible through the boulders, but they soon spotted the smoke rising from the pile. The scent of burnt meat, seafood, plants, and insects assaulted their nostrils. Qubine normally wouldn't mind the burnt meat and seafood smell, but the combined scent of all four food groups burning was very unpleasant.

He let the gargantuan bonfire roar, only sparing an occasional glance away from it to make sure Coco was still beside him. To Qubine's surprise, the hatchling stayed put, seemingly mesmerized by the fire. At least it made things slightly easier for Qubine to not have to chase him everywhere.

When the fire began to die out, Qubine leaped onto one of the thicker branches hovering over the food hoard. By now, most of the food had turned to ash, with charred pieces of meat strewn chaotically around the pile. That was good enough, Qubine thought.

He hopped onto the top of the boulder wall and began knocking the boulders onto the dying fire, effectively extinguishing the small flames that remained. The boulders now formed a more pyramid shape.

"That should do it," Qubine affirmed.

Cleaning out this hoard would be a tiresome task as well, but thankfully not very urgent. It would be better to wait until they had a few more adult dragons in the clan to help out.

Qubine turned to Coco again. "Now we should go check on that egg."

He probably should have done that first, he realized, but there was no point in lamenting about that. Qubine raced out of the food den, while Coco scrambled after him as fast as his little legs would allow.

When Qubine reached his den, he was in for a surprise. Streaks of lightning were pulsing through the egg shell like an actual lightning storm from the sky. Coco caught up, panting as he entered the lair. The breath stopped in his throat as the Lightning egg caught his attention.

_ Could it be hatching? _ Qubine wondered.

As the bolts surged through the shell a few more times, it did indeed crack in an eyeblink. Qubine and Coco both watched, barely containing their excitement. The shell began to split open, eventually revealing a newborn Fae dragon with pink scales and platinum wings. Like he had with Coco, Qubine lifted the Fae hatchling by the tail.

"Another male..." he said.

With a disappointed sigh, he set the Fae back down on the ground. Now to think of a name. Like before, Qubine studied the Fae for a moment, digging through his mind for any names that might pop into his mind.

"Dugan," he spat out.

He wasn't sure where the name came from, or what it meant, or whether it would fit this hatchling. But as far as Qubine was concerned, it was as good a name as any. Almost.

"Now we need to start replenishing the food supply," he told the hatchlings.

Such would be an exasperating task. Qubine mulled over it for a moment, realizing that he'd have to gather enough food to feed these hatchlings  _ and _ the sick clan. He closed his eyes with a sigh.

_ It's all right _ , he thought. Soon, these hatchlings would grow strong enough to be able to feed themselves and help feed the sick clan. Once Qubine got past the stage of being the sole caretaker, the chores would become easier. In fact, Coco should mature any day now. Qubine found himself ecstatic at the thought. He would still have to search for more abandoned dragon eggs, at least until he can find a female dragon to start breeding. While Dugan being male was disappointing, at least they had a potential healer for the new clan. That was another important thing that Qubine had to search for.

As tempting as it was to retire for the night, Qubine couldn't let the hatchlings and the incapacitated clan go hungry. He'd have to make one more trip outside the lair to gather a day's worth of food.

"It's time to go scavenging again," he told the hatchlings.

He lay on the ground again, waiting for the hatchlings to mount. Dugan only looked confused, so Coco gently nudged him towards their caretaker with his head. Upon reaching him, Coco climbed onto Qubine's back. Dugan finally took the hint, and climbed onto the adult Mirror's back as well, settling in front of Coco.

The Woodland Path would be the easiest place to gather food in this stage. The wildlife there was slightly more plentiful than the Training Fields and would be less harmful to the hatchlings.

Qubine instructed the hatchlings dismount behind an underbrush. With a moment, a Cockatrice came into view. Qubine didn't even bother setting himself up for a pounce; he leaped at the rooster, killing it with a single swipe of his claws. Wasting no time, he carelessly stuffed it into his sack. After a brief pause, he spotted something odd by the tree, an emerald green strip of fleece laying by the yellow-leaf bush. Qubine hooked the loop at the end with his claw and lifted it to eye level.

_ It's a cape _ , he realized.

It was so small that nothing larger than a Fae dragon could wear it. Qubine paused to think of the Fae dragons in his clan and found the perfect one to match the cape.

"This would be perfect for Azalea," he said aloud.

He shot another look at the hatchlings, making sure they were still in their assigned place.

"Let's go."

He instructed the hatchlings to follow him as he moved deeper into the Woodland Path to continue his hunt.

***

Viridian Labyrinth

After gathering his one-day supply of food for the clan, Qubine returned to the lair with the hatchlings. He visited Azalea's den first to deliver some insects and the cape he had found. Azalea was a Fae dragon with chocolate-colored scales and emerald wings. Like the rest of the clan, she was inert when Qubine entered the clearing. Opting not to disturb her, Qubine simply set a tiny sack next to her. He then pulled out the emerald fleece cape, examining it once again before laying it over her body. Coco staggered forward, sniffing at Azalea's face curiously, emitting a sad humming sound. Qubine felt the warmth in his heart as he watched.

_ How cute, _ he thought.  _ Usha would probably choose Coco to be Azalea's mate if she were well. _

"All right," Qubine said, gently pulling Coco back. "Let's feed the rest of the clan."

Coco gave a disappointed coo as he turned away from the sick Fae. Qubine began to walk out, pausing as he spotted Dugan still waiting by the den entrance.

"You, too," Qubine added.

The hatchlings could only follow as Qubine visited each of the dens, leaving meager rations for each of the sick dragons. The last den he visited was his own, where he approached his mate.

"Shayla?" he called softly.

Shayla stirred, meekly turning her head in the direction of the voice. "Qubine...?"

Qubine set another sack next to her. "I brought some food. You'll need it to maintain your strength."

Shayla reached for the sack, dragging her arm across the ground as she pulled it towards her. The sack was light, as if there were nothing inside. However, Shayla knew better. Spiral dragons only ate meat and insects, and because meat was heavier, there had to be insects inside this bag.

"Thank you..." she whispered. "I don't think I can eat, though..."

"But...you need to." Qubine didn't want to force her, but his voice had an edge of urgency. "Please...try to eat, even if it's just a little."

Shayla frowned deeply. Qubine was right. He only did this out of concern for her well-being. Shayla wanted to maintain her strength as much as Qubine wanted her to.

"I'm sorry..." she said. "I'll keep it. I'll eat when I can...I'm sorry..."

Qubine closed his eyes and bowed his head.  _ I should get her something _ , he thought.  _ Something inconsumable, something precious. Something that will let her know that I'm always here in spirit, even if I'm not here physically. _

Qubine carried a heavy burden that would require him to leave the lair quite frequently, so he wanted to give Shayla a token of his affection. The emerald cape was a nice gift for Azalea, so he had to do something similar for Shayla.

"All right," Qubine told her. "At any rate, I'm finished for today. I'll stay with you tonight."

Shayla couldn't resist the light smile that formed across her lips. "I'm glad..."

Qubine settled next to her, draping an arm protectively around her as he began to drift to sleep.

***

The next morning came too quickly. The new morning agenda would be a quick one. Qubine wouldn't need to bring the hatchlings this time.

"Gladekeeper," he called out from his den. "Could you watch the hatchlings for me? I must collect fresh water for the clan."

_ "Yes, Qubine," _ the Gladekeeper responded simply.

"Thank you." Qubine bowed his head in the Gladekeeper's direction before departing from his den.

For this task, he only carried a single bucket, flying to the Sea of a Thousand Currents to gather the water. In order to better keep an eye on the hatchlings at home, he took several short flights to the Water region instead of a single long one. He was able to convince the sick dragons to take a drink, which would do them good.

After his final trip, Qubine returned to the hatchlings still waiting in his den, carrying another egg. This egg had a purple shell covered with glowing murky lumps.

"Look what I found," Qubine told the hatchlings.

He set the egg down in front of him, and both hatchlings moved closer to sniff and examine it. They watched with fascination as a dark form seemed to be moving within the shell.

Qubine leaned in, peering through the lumps, also seeing the movement within. "It looks like it's about to hatch."

Within a moment, the shell began to split open, and the murky fluid spilled through the cracks. A red Guardian hatchling emerged from the shell with rust-colored wings, opening its eyes. Qubine lifted the new hatchling by the tail to peek between its hind legs.

"Ugh,  _ another male! _ " he growled.

All three of the hatchlings looked up at him, puzzled. Qubine let out a frustrated sigh as he studied them. They'd be a good fighting team with two fighters and one healer. But he still needed to remedy the breeding situation. Qubine glided to the Gladekeeper's den, bowing his head respectfully in front of the deity.

"Gladekeeper," he confided. "I've found three eggs, but the hatchlings are all male."

_ "You're doing well, Qubine," _ the Gladekeeper assured him.

Qubine frowned; that wasn't what he wanted to hear. "But I need them to be able to breed," he insisted. "Therefore, I need female dragons."

_ "Hmm..." _ The Gladekeeper hummed, pondering for a moment. She offered,  _ "If you would like, I can try to treat one of your female dragons. I will not be able to cure her, but I may be able to restore enough strength so that she may breed. I do not know if her offspring would be healthy, however..." _

"I'll take what I can get at this point," Qubine insisted.

_ "As you wish. Now, choose a dragon that you would like me to treat." _

Qubine considered the hatchlings for a moment. He recalled the thoughts he had upon gifting Azalea with the emerald cape, and how Usha would choose Coco as her mate because of their similar colors.

"Azalea," Qubine said at last. "I choose Azalea."

_ "Then bring her to me," _ the Nature deity beckoned.

Qubine bowed his head. "Yes, Gladekeeper."


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first three hatchlings mature and learn about the challenges besetting them.

Viridian Labyrinth

Childhood for dragonkind was incredibly short. Adult dragons only had the vaguest memories of their hatchling lives. Therefore, the transition into adulthood was almost like being reborn, but with their natural awareness and intelligence, but no direction.

Such was the case when Coco matured. He did recall the masked Mirror dragon who had taken care of him, as that dragon had been present throughout his hatchling life. Coco also vaguely remembered two Fae dragons - a pink Fae who was also a hatchling, and an adult Fae who had been sleeping in the leaves. Coco didn't know who the adult Fae was, but he wanted to see her again. And yet the memory of her felt so distant, like a dream. Did this Fae even exist?

At least Coco was certain enough that the masked Mirror was real, so he decided to seek him out first. As he made his way through the dense jungle, he peeked into the different dens, seeing the sleeping dragons. He moved on, not wanting to disturb them. Finally, Coco found the masked Mirror in his den tending to the blue snake-like dragon. Coco vaguely remembered seeing the sick dragon before.

Qubine looked up from Shayla's body, turning in Coco's direction.

"Coco." The masked Mirror nodded in greeting.

"Father...?" Coco asked in a suppressed tone.

Qubine shook his head. "I'm not your father. Just call me Qubine."

"Oh..." Coco looked away.

"Have you seen the other two?"

Coco met Qubine's eyes again. "Other two?"

"Dugan, the pink Fae, and the red Guardian whom I still have yet to name. They both should have matured by now."

_ The pink Fae_. Coco's eyes widened as it jogged his memory. If the pink Fae was real, then did that mean that the brown and green Fae was real as well?

"I haven't seen them since I matured," Coco replied.

"They should be around here somewhere," Qubine said. "Let's find them."

Coco nodded, following Qubine as they trekked through the lair. Finding the other two dragons was easy, as they were the only ones capable of moving.

"There you are!" Dugan called. "We were looking for you!"

The red Guardian nodded as well, at a loss for words.

"We've been looking for you as well," Qubine told them. "Come back to my den. Now that the three of you are together and matured, I need to explain the situation we're dealing with."

The three newly matured dragons exchanged a curious glance as they followed Qubine back to his den. Qubine moved next to Shayla again, settling next to her.

"You may want to settle down. This will be a lengthy explanation. But first..." Qubine looked at the red Guardian. "You still need a name, don't you?"

"Yes," the red Guardian affirmed.

"Hmm..." Qubine studied him for a moment, waiting for a name to come to mind. "Kladeos. How does that sound?"

"Kladeos..." The red Guardian tested the name on his tongue. He turned to Coco and Dugan, who gave their own nod of approval. "Yes...it is a name that suits me."

Finally, the three dragons settled on the ground in front of their caretaker, awaiting the explanation.

"This is our situation," Qubine said. "There is a plague that has been unleashed upon our lair by the Plaguebringer herself. All of the dragons in the lair have fallen ill, except for myself. I must save them, but I need a new clan in order to do so. You three are the beginning of this new clan.

"I've had to destroy our food supply as a precautionary measure, and I have spent the past week replenishing it. First, I will need you three to help me continue this task. Sooner or later - preferably sooner - we'll need to work on studying the plague and developing a cure."

The three dragons let their gaze wander as they absorbed this information. Gathering food would be a simple task, but the idea of searching for a cure was overwhelming.

"If the Plaguebringer is responsible for this plague," Coco said, "then we'll have to defeat her."

"No!" Qubine snapped. "The Plaguebringer is one of the eleven deities. No dragon can ever hope to match their power, nor _ should _ we."

"Why not?" Kladeos asked.

"Balance," Qubine replied. After a bewildered look from the other dragons, he clarified, "Before the birth of dragonkind, the deities warred with each other. Each one had a different vision for this world, but it was nearly destroyed in their war. Realizing their mistake, the deities formed a precarious peace treaty. Each one now owns a piece of this continent called Sornieth, and they live separately in order to hold the world together. When they gave birth to dragonkind, they gave us only a small fraction of their power. This is important, because if we had their level of power, we would destroy the world billions of times over."

"That is...unbelievable..." Kladeos murmured.

"It's an interesting story," Dugan admitted, "but I don't understand how it has to do with balance."

"Each element has three strengths and three weaknesses," Qubine explained. "If fire were to go out of control, the whole world would burn to ash, so we have water to douse the fire. But the world could drown in water, so we have ice to freeze it solid. Fire can then melt the ice and warm the world, so its life forms don't freeze to death. That is just one example of how the elements bring balance to our world. Only when the elements are perfectly balanced can we even hope to survive. No matter what happens, no matter how strong we become, we are always at the mercy of the elements. Therefore, it's important to know your element as you go into battle, which is another subject I need to discuss with you."

Coco, Dugan, and Kladeos looked at each other once more, questions filling their minds. They turned back to Qubine, listening for more.

Qubine began to pace back and forth in front of them. "We don't know much about the plague," he admitted. "We believe I was unaffected because of my strength. The other two dragons who match my strength are Nature dragons, who are vulnerable to the Plague element. In your current state, you are just as vulnerable to the infection. You'll need to strengthen yourselves to build elemental resistance."

"How do we strengthen ourselves?" Kladeos asked.

Qubine stopped pacing, looking them all in the eye. "The Passage."

The dragon trio exchanged yet another glance. "The Passage?" they repeated in unison.

Qubine nodded. "In teams of three, we challenge the beasts throughout Sornieth in combat. We learn teamwork while maintaining a sense of independence. We develop unique styles and strategies to destroy our foes. We learn to use our better judgment when the situation turns sour. All of this comes with a dire drawback: the high probability of death. Therefore, good judgment will be imperative in order to survive."

The dragons fell silent as they began to truly feel the weight of their situation on their shoulders.

"I don't like this..." Dugan finally said. "This doesn't sound good at all."

"No, it doesn't," Coco agreed. "But it's not like we have much of a choice. Even if we refuse the Passage, we're as likely as not to die from this plague. I remember when I was a hatchling, I saw some of the other dragons. They can't move or do anything for themselves. It's a horrible way to die. If I'm going to die, I'd rather die while _ doing _ something."

"Exactly," Qubine said. He stepped aside, giving them a good view of Shayla. "Look at _ this _ dragon. I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't end up in this condition."

The dragons fell silent as they pondered Qubine's words.

_ He makes it sound so easy... _ Kladeos thought.

"Now," Qubine continued, standing in front of Shayla once more. "Let's make sure you know your dragon species and elements. Coco, you're a Nature dragon. Dugan, your element is Lightning. Kladeos, yours is Shadow. Coco and Kladeos, you're a Mirror and a Guardian dragon, respectively. You two will handle the physical combat. Dugan, as a Fae dragon, your role will be to cast spells from a distance, and heal yourself and your allies when needed."

Dugan's eyes widened. "I don't know how to heal!"

"It'll come to you naturally in time," Qubine assured him, "as will the rest of your elemental abilities. Once you learn how to control your powers, try to use them in creative, unique, and effective ways. That will make the clan's tactics unpredictable for our enemies."

The dragons nodded again.

"When do we begin this Passage?" Coco asked.

"Whenever you're ready," Qubine told him. "The sooner, the better. I'd advise taking some potions with you whenever you go. I'll show you where we keep the treasure, and you can purchase the potions from the market. Also, take some empty sacks with you, and bring back any trinkets you find near the beasts, no matter how useless they may seem. We may yet find a use for them, or they may be sold."

"We understand," Kladeos said.

Qubine nodded. "That's all I have for now. Do any of you have anything? Questions or concerns?"

The dragons looked at each other, waiting for an answer.

"I think that's all," Coco said.

"All right," Qubine said. "Let's get back to work."

***

Viridian Labyrinth, Night

Coco, Dugan, and Kladeos had begun their Passage in the Training Fields as Qubine had instructed. Thankfully the training there had been easy enough. By the time they were finished with that venue, Dugan had learned how to heal.

That healing became instrumental in the completion of the following venue, the Woodland Path. It had been more challenging, but still passable. The trio felt their confidence bolstered as they returned home for the night, storing their loot in the appropriate storage dens.

As they settled in their own den for the night, they began to talk amongst themselves.

"This Passage isn't so bad after all," Kladeos remarked.

"We've only just begun," Coco said. "It's only going to get more difficult as we progress."

"I'm still shocked at what's happening here," Dugan said. "We'll either die one way or another."

"I believe what Qubine said," Coco added. "I believe every word of it."

"It's not that I don't believe him," Dugan insisted. "It's just that...I don't want to die."

Coco and Kladeos both stopped. They both saw where this conversation was going.

"Do you want to leave?" Coco asked.

Now Dugan paused. While he was thinking along those lines, they weren't so blunt. He couldn't deny it either.

"Yes," he finally responded. "I do want to leave. On the other hand, it wouldn't feel right to leave with all of these dragons sick and dying."

"Have you talked to Qubine?" Kladeos asked. "I don't believe he can keep you here."

"Not yet. I should do that right now." Dugan left the den, crawling on all fours through the jungle.

Qubine was in his den, gently coaxing Shayla to sip water from a metal bucket. The Mirror pulled the bucket away, setting it down beside him.

"That should be enough," he whispered softly, laying beside her. He then glanced at the entrance as the pink Fae crawled in. "Did you need something?"

Dugan shrank back briefly, as he'd hoped that the clan leader wouldn't notice him so quickly.

"Yeah..." he muttered shamefully. "I've been thinking about everything you've told us, and it's boiled down to that death is all around us no matter what we do. Is the whole world like this?"

Qubine considered his response carefully for a moment. "The world is full of dangers. I realize this is a very unpleasant life to hatch into. There are other clans out there, although I don't know them personally. I'm almost certain that none of them are facing this plague."

He lifted his head, regarding the Fae. "Is that what you want? You want to live somewhere where you're not under a constant threat?"

Dugan sighed, grateful that he didn't have to voice his own thoughts. Qubine had hit the nail on the head.

"Yes," Dugan admitted.

Qubine's eyes wandered away from him as he let out a deep, guttural sigh. "Understandable. Things weren't always like this. Before the plague, we were a peaceful clan. Usha, Grim, and I were the only ones who knew combat. It was all we needed to keep our clan safe. I was considered a high-ranking member of the clan, but Usha and Grim were the true leaders. But now, with this plague, I realize who I must become."

"What's that?" Dugan asked.

"A clan leader. Before the plague, I'd never even thought of becoming one. Everything changed in a single night."

Dugan twisted his mouth, unable to form a response.

"It would be easier to just leave, to let these dragons die and start over," Qubine went on. "But that's just not in my nature."

Dugan sighed. He felt like Qubine was just sending him on a guilt trip.

"I realize that our story is different," Qubine continued. "You have no attachment to these dragons, nor any obligation to save them. It'd be easier and safer for you to start over."

Dugan's eyes widened with a ray of hope. "Does this mean I can leave?"

"I can't keep you here. I do plan to recruit more dragons into the clan regardless of what you do. If you do leave, I'll need a replacement healer to assist Coco and Kladeos with their training."

Dugan nodded. "I understand. I'll stay until you find another healer."

"I appreciate it, Dugan."

"No, thank _ you_."

Dugan skipped back to the other den, feeling the weight lifted from his heart. He was beaming by the time he saw his partners. Coco and Kladeos perked up when they saw him.

"Well?" Coco asked eagerly.

"Qubine says I can leave," Dugan told them, "but I told him I'd stay until he found another healer to take my place."

Kladeos smiled. "I'm glad for you, Dugan."

Coco nodded in agreement. "Let's get some rest. We still have long days ahead of us."

***

The Scorched Forest

The next phase of the Passage took place in the Ashfall Waste, with charred landscape and blackened trees. Tiny orange embers floated about aimlessly. The heat was blazing; although most dragons shrugged it off, Coco could feel the air burning him.

"Whew..." he gasped. "My scales feel like they're on fire..."

"Strange, I don't feel anything," Kladeos said.

"Me neither," Dugan added.

"I wonder if it's because of my element..." Coco mused. "I'm a Nature dragon. Nature doesn't fare well against Fire..."

Kladeos frowned, looking him over carefully. "Can you still fight?"

"Of course I can still fight."

"All right. We'll keep an eye on you." Kladeos nodded to Dugan, who returned the nod.

The team stalked forward through the seemingly dead forest. The emptiness didn't mean there weren't any creatures nearby, however. None of the dragons could shake the feeling of being watched.

After what felt like hours, their next opponents emerged from beyond the black hills. Three Umberhorn Qiriqs meandered towards the trio, their eyes narrowed and hostile. The dragons stopped, Coco and Kladeos lowering their stances, planting their feet on the ground.

"Coco," Kladeos said.

Coco nodded, sharing the same thoughts. "Let's go."

They both rushed in to attack. Dugan crawled forward, keeping a safe distance from the battle. He concentrated on the magical energies around him, gathering his power. He then waited, watching his partners carefully for any injuries the Qiriqs might inflict.

Although Coco and Kladeos held their own, one of the Qiriqs broke away from them, rushing at Dugan at a great speed. The Fae reacted quickly, diving to the side. The Qiriq skidded to a halt, launching itself at him again.

Coco caught the distant movement in the corner of his eyes and knew immediately what the Qiriq was pursuing. "Dugan!"

He whirled around, using his hind legs to kick the other Qiriq to the ground before dashing in Dugan's direction. Kladeos batted an eye in their direction, but chose to keep the Qiriqs at bay. He lunged at one of them, clamping his massive jaws around its neck, squeezing his maw until he heard the neck snap between his teeth. Kladeos released his prey, letting it collapse to the ground, spitting its blood from his mouth. When the second Qiriq lunged at him, they both lashed out at each other with their sharp claws.

Dugan glided close to the ground, hearing and feeling the beast's footprints pattering behind him. He began to circle the area, not wanting to flee too far away from his partners.

_ I can't flee, _ he thought. _ I need to help them! _

Dugan veered around, attempting to fly back towards where Kladeos had been, only to catch a glimpse of a bright pink flash of light. A violent force slammed into him, sending him skidding along the charred landscape. He came to a stop on his back, his entire body throbbing in pain. He stared up at the dark smoky clouds in the sky, his breaths becoming slower. Gradually, he could feel his pain beginning to ebb away. His senses began to dull, the sounds becoming muffled around him. He only barely recognized Coco calling his name in a distorted voice.

_ "Dugan!" _

Just then, Dugan realized what was happening.

_ Am I...dying...? _

Coco tackled the Qiriq to the ground, slashing at it mercilessly with his claws until it fell limp. He paused for only a brief second to make sure the beast was dead before racing to his partner.

"Dugan!"

Coco looked down at the Fae, waiting for a response, but Dugan only lay there, his eyes vacant.

"Dugan!" Coco leaned in, gently bringing his crest down to the Fae's chest, listening for a heartbeat or a pulse, but there was nothing.

Kladeos finally rushed to Coco's side. "What's happening?" he asked, but quickly found the answer as he spotted Dugan's lifeless form on the ground. "Dugan...?"

Coco straightened himself, looking up at the Guardian. "He's dead."

Kladeos' heart skipped a beat as Coco dropped the verdict. "It can't be..."

As much as Kladeos wished otherwise, he knew Coco was telling the truth. He gently slipped a massive claw under Dugan's body, scooping him up carefully.

Coco blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Taking him back," Kladeos said. "We can't leave him here."

Coco opened his mouth to protest, but found his thoughts too scrambled to express them. Kladeos did have a point, that it didn't feel right to leave Dugan here. Coco let out a defeated sigh. "Let's go..."

The two dragons flapped their wings, departing from the Scorched Forest.


	4. Contemplating the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco and Kladeos contemplate their futures as they cope with Dugan's death, while Qubine chooses mates for them.

Viridian Labyrinth

Coco and Kladeos returned to the lair, Kladeos still carrying Dugan's body. They were both anticipating how Qubine would react to the news of their failure, and it didn't look pleasant in either of their minds. Regardless, they still found themselves eager to get their upcoming punishment over with.

"Qubine!" Coco called out.

Figuring that the clan leader was tending to the ill, Coco and Kladeos split up briefly to check each of the dens. When they didn't find him, they rejoined in front of Qubine's den.

"He's not here," Coco said.

"He might be out running errands," Kladeos suggested.

They didn't have to wait long. A sudden gust of wind followed by the tearing of leaves and branches indicated Qubine's return.

"That must be him," Kladeos said.

Coco nodded, and the pair moved through the lair to meet Qubine as he walked among the trees, carrying what looked like a brown egg-shaped boulder. Qubine stopped as he spotted the two dragons' troubled expressions.

"Coco, Kladeos," he addressed them. "What's going on?"

Coco stepped forward, unable to meet Qubine's piercing gaze. "We...have some bad news."

Kladeos extended his paw, holding out Dugan's dead body. One look was all Qubine needed to realize that the poor Fae was beyond saving. Coco and Kladeos watched Qubine's expressions, trying to discern what he might be thinking or feeling. Perhaps the leader was seething with rage, or perhaps he was just mourning silently. The pair hoped it was the latter, or it could have been both.

After a moment of deafening silence, Qubine spoke. "Follow me. And bring Dugan."

He turned and began to lead the pair through the jungle. Coco and Kladeos followed, their minds ridden with curiosity. Qubine entered another clearing in the lair that was much larger and empty compared to the others. There were no decorations, and only very few leaves littered the ground. Upon closer inspection, Coco noticed that some patches of dirt were a darker brown, as if it had been freshly dug and tilled. Qubine set his boulder on the ground at the den entrance and moved to the back of the den and began to rake up a patch of dirt with his claws. When the hole was large enough, he stepped aside and nodded to Kladeos, gesturing to the hole with his head. Understanding the message, Kladeos made his way to the hole, carefully placing Dugan's body in. Qubine then shuffled the dirt back on top of him, filling the hole. Coco looked at the other dark patches of dirt.

_ Is this where he buried the other dead dragons? _ he wondered.

"This den will be our Burial Grounds," Qubine explained. "Everyone in our clan who dies, either from the plague or in battle, will be buried here. You did the right thing by bringing Dugan back. See to it that all of the fallen are brought back for a proper burial. If you're unable to bring back the fallen, report to the clan, and we'll pick them up."

The two dragons nodded. Qubine patted at the dirt, making it solid and smooth, before looking up at the two. "How did Dugan die?"

Coco lowered his head shamefully as he replied, "A purple beast was chasing him in the Scorched Forest. There was a bright flash of pink as the beast struck him. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't reach them in time..."

Qubine nodded slightly, recognizing the description of the beast. "An Umberhorn Qiriq. Those creatures are aligned with the Arcane element, one of Dugan's weaknesses."

"He didn't have a chance..." Coco lamented. "All it took was one strike."

"We all encounter enemies with an elemental advantage," Qubine pointed out. "It will be important to strike fast and strike hard. Take them out as quickly as possible, before they have a chance to use their abilities, for they will do the same to us. That will be one of the main keys for surviving the Passage."

"Qubine..." Coco said. "What happens if we do manage to complete the Passage?"

Qubine paused; he wasn't expecting that question. "I'm not sure what you mean. There's no big ceremony or celebration if that's what you're wondering. However, the reward is knowing that you'll become powerful enough to fight any threat, save for the deities themselves."

"The deities can become a threat?" Kladeos asked without thinking.

Qubine cut his eyes towards him. "Of course they can. Look at this plague, for instance."

Kladeos nodded, defeated. "Point taken."

Coco glanced over at the boulder that Qubine had brought in with him. "What is that egg-thing over there? Is that an actual egg?"

"Yes..." Qubine moved to pick up the egg. "This is an Earth egg from Dragonhome. I found it while I was scavenging."

He set the egg down in front of the other two. As they peered at it, the stone shell began to crumble, softly at first, but soon the surface cracked completely.

_ It's hatching! _ Kladeos thought.

The Earth egg shell collapsed into a heap of dust and rubble, revealing a royal purple Mirror dragon with rust-colored wings. Qubine did his usual sex-check by lifting its tail and peeking between its legs.

"It's a female!" he exclaimed. "Praise the Earthshaker, it's a female!"

Now there was more hope to grow the clan. Qubine was already preparing for Azalea to mate with Coco. This new hatchling on the other hand...

Qubine studied the hatchling, and then looked at Kladeos. He continued switching his gaze between them both. Kladeos noticed Qubine's gaze, stepping back uncomfortably.

"What are you thinking...?" he asked.

"I'm just thinking that she'll be a fine mate for you when she matures," Qubine said.

"Mate?" Kladeos flinched. "I'm supposed to mate with her?"

"Yes. What, does it seems strange because she's a hatchling? Give her a few days, and she'll become an adult. Your view of her may change by then."

"I suppose you're right..."

Qubine nodded. "There is a place in the Sea of a Thousand Currents where you can preview your future. It's called the Scrying Workshop. You can see what a hatchling would look like as an adult, or see what they'd look like as another dragon species. I've found it rather interesting to play with."

"Hmm..." Kladeos tapped his chin, pondering. "I might consider that..."

"We should probably give her a name, though." Qubine looked at the new hatchling, searching through his thoughts. "Anesia?"

Coco and Kladeos exchanged a glance, nodding in approval.

"Sounds good to me," Kladeos said.

"Good." Qubine then turned to Coco. "Coco, I've chosen a mate for you as well."

Coco blinked. "Me?"

"Yes. She's one of the clan members infected with the plague, but the Gladekeeper is currently treating her. She hopes to restore enough energy so that she may breed. You should come see her."

Coco froze, his heart thumping in his chest. "All right..."

Qubine led the way out of the Burial Grounds, leaving Kladeos alone with Anesia. Coco followed, plagued with uncertainty, wondering what his chosen mate would look like. Was she pretty? What if he didn't like her?

Qubine entered the den where the Gladekeeper stood over them. He stepped aside, allowing Coco to move in and meet his new mate.

"Coco, this is Azalea."

Coco slowly approached the bed of leaves encircled by uprooted tree limbs. He gasped as he recognized the dragon resting in the bed, the chocolate Fae with the emerald wings.

"It's her...!" he muttered in shock, stepping back.

Coco suddenly turned and fled from the den. Qubine blinked as he watched him run; that was not the reaction he had been expecting.

"Coco!" Qubine chased the other Mirror. Thankfully he didn't have to run far, as Coco had stopped in the middle of the lair, catching his breath. "What do you think you're doing!?"

Coco tried to come up with an answer, waiting for his breath to return to normal. "I...don't know. I just...I remember seeing her in my youth. I don't know what I thought then, but when I matured, I thought that she was...too beautiful, too perfect to be real."

Qubine suppressed a scoff. He knew exactly what Coco was feeling now. "Well, I can assure you that she's very real. And you get to breed with her. You should consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky..." Coco considered the sentiment. Perhaps he was lucky to have been chosen to mate with such a beautiful dragon. But at the same time, Coco found that he wanted more than to just breed with her. He turned to face Qubine. "But wouldn't she have to...lo--...love me?"

Qubine looked at him sideways. "Not necessarily. Azalea agreed to do this before we began her treatment."

Coco stared down at the ground. "I see..."

Qubine studied him for a moment. Given the comments Coco had made so far, it wasn't hard to figure out what he was thinking. "You're smitten with her, aren't you?"

Coco sighed. "I suppose that's one way to put it..."

"There's no need to be embarrassed about it. It might just save your life."

Coco blinked, looking directly at the clan leader. "How?"

"Perhaps the most important key to survival is having the will. But survival alone isn't enough. What do you fight for? Why do you want to survive? Having a mate, a clan, or a family...those are common reasons."

"I have no family. You refused to be my father."

"No family? That's about to change. But you do have a clan. And...you have Azalea."

Coco considered it for a moment. He hadn't realized until now that he didn't have a reason to remain. "Azalea..." Just the sound of her name caused a dull ache in his heart. "You're right. Even if she doesn't love me, I still want to save her."

Qubine smiled a bit. "That's good to hear. Azalea is one of the kindest dragons in our clan. Show her kindness, and I'm sure she'll come to love you."

"Show kindness..." It seemed simple enough. "Thank you."

Satisfied, Coco turned and stalked away.

\----------

That night, Kladeos returned to the den ready to retire for the night, carrying the hatchling Anesia. Coco was already settled in the leaves, staring off into space, deep in thought. Kladeos set Anesia down nearby, and the hatchling immediately went to sleep. Kladeos then settled down next to Coco, his mind also full of contemplation.

"Hey," Coco greeted him. "What's on your mind?"

"Dugan," Kladeos responded. "I don't know if I could ever forgive myself for what happened."

"Me neither. I tried to save him, but I just couldn't reach him in time."

Kladeos fell silent, feeling the weight of Coco's guilt along with his own.

"Dugan wanted to leave because he wanted to live," he pointed out. "And yet he was the one to die. If we stay, the same can very well happen to us."

Coco glanced over at the Guardian. "Do you plan to leave?"

Despite the wiser answer in his mind, Kladeos actually chose the opposite. "I think I'll stay. There's something about the challenge that excites me. Qubine is a true warrior. I haven't seen him in combat, but I can tell by the way he carries himself. I think I can understand him a little more after today."

"What didn't you understand before?" Coco asked.

"I looked at all these dragons on the verge of death, I thought there was no hope for them, but Qubine is still working to save them. Now I understand why. Losing Dugan was painful enough. Can you imagine what Qubine would feel if he loses his whole clan?"

Coco tried to imagine it. Kladeos's statement couldn't have been more true. The pain and guilt from Dugan's death magnified on such a grand scale was not a feeling that Coco wished to experience.

"I know what you mean," he finally admitted. "Qubine introduced me to the mate he'd chosen for me."

Kladeos looked at him now, his curiosity piqued. "And? Is she pretty?"

"She's  _ beautiful! _ " Coco snapped.

Kladeos flinched. He hadn't expected that answer so quickly and firmly. "I...see."

"I told him I wanted to save her, so I'm staying."

Kladeos nodded, a slight smile crossing his face. He couldn't help but wonder what it was about Azalea that had Coco so smitten so quickly. Kladeos glanced at Anesia once again, and he just didn't share those feelings.

"I'm still not sure how I feel about Anesia."

"Remember what Qubine said," Coco suggested. "Wait until she matures before you decide how you feel about her."

"Yes. I think I will try out this Scrying Workshop that Qubine mentioned."

"You want to glimpse into the future? Honestly, I'd rather not know."

"I'm just curious. I really want to see what she'll look like as an adult, that's all."

Coco looked at his companion sideways. "You really can't wait a few days?"

"No, I can't!" Kladeos pouted.

Coco laughed out loud. Kladeos paused, realizing that he'd sounded pompous just now, and then laughed as well. He then began to settle down, laying his head in the leaves.

"Goodnight, Coco."

_ It is getting late _ , Coco realized. He laid his head down as well. "Goodnight, Kladeos."

The two dragons then drifted off to sleep.


	5. Glimpsing the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kladeos and Anesia visit the Scrying Workshop. But what will they find there? Meanwhile, Coco continues to eagerly await Azalea's treatment.

Viridian Labyrinth: Morning

Kladeos made his way through the lair with the hatchling Anesia hopping along energetically behind him. He stopped when he came across Coco peeking into a particular clearing, the one where the Gladekeeper resided, watching over Azalea.

"What's going on?" Kladeos asked, concerned.

"The Gladekeeper still hasn't had any luck treating Azalea," Coco said. "I'm afraid to go in there..."

"Why?"

"I just...can't bear to see her suffer."

Kladeos frowned. "I'll check then."

"Thanks..."

Kladeos entered the clearing, Anesia crawling in behind him. Not only did he share Coco's concern for her well-being, but he also wanted to see what Azalea looked like, to find out if he could see why Coco was so enamored with her. Kladeos reached the nest and gazed down at the Fae sleeping within, with labored breaths. He twisted his mouth, the dull ache wrenching his heart. Anesia clung to the edge of the nest and climbed up, peering at the Fae as well. Kladeos spared her a glance, seeing the concern etched on the hatchling's face as well.

"Will she make it...?" Kladeos asked absent-mindedly.

"She will live," the Gladekeeper responded. "I am having difficulty restoring her strength to breed. I will keep tending to her."

Satisfied with the answer, Kladeos turned and stalked away, returning to where Coco was waiting. Anesia hopped from the nest and scampered after him.

"She'll be all right," Kladeos assured Coco. "It may take time for her to be able to breed, though."

"I see..." Coco sighed, lowering his head.

Kladeos watched him for a moment, studying his expression. "I can see why you're so smitten with her," he said at last.

Coco glanced up at him, bewildered. "Really?"

"It's the similar colors, isn't it? You'd make lovely hatchlings together."

"It's not just that. She's just so beautiful, so innocent. She doesn't deserve this..."

Kladeos gave an acknowledging nod, then decided to drop the subject. "Well, I'm taking Anesia to the Scrying Workshop. You coming?"

Coco hesitated before responding, "No."

Kladeos shrugged. "If you say so..." He turned back to Anesia and urged her to follow with a head gesture. He then began to walk away, the hatchling following obediently.

Coco watched them leave, a smile spreading across his face.  _ She's just following him around like a pet, _ he thought.  _ It seems he's growing fond of her after all... _

As Kladeos headed for the next nearest clearing to take off, he spotted Qubine walking towards him from ahead.

"And where are you headed?" Qubine asked amiably.

"I'm taking Anesia to the Scrying Workshop, like you suggested," Kladeos said.

"Is that so?" 

Kladeos could feel the clan leader's eyes appraising him, weighing his heart with doubt. He supposed he should have asked permission first. He chose to rectify that now.

"Unless there's something else you wanted us to do...?"

"No, nothing pressing at the moment," Qubine said.

Kladeos breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "How do I get to the Scrying Workshop again? Fly over to the Sea of a Thousand Currents..."

"Yes. The Scrying Workshop is located within the twisted halls of Spiral Keep, at the very bottom of the sea. It's a wonder that it doesn't get crushed by the pressure of the water."

"It's  _ underwater?? _ " Kladeos blinked wide-eyed at this new information. "Then how do we even reach it?"

"You'll need blessings from the Windsinger."

"What can the Windsinger do?"

"He protects us with a bubble of air that can enable us to breathe underwater, and keep us from getting crushed by the torrent pressure."

Kladeos's gaze wandered as he took in the information. "I understand. Thank you."

"Good luck out there." Qubine nodded to dismiss him, and then walked past him.

\-----

Sea of a Thousand Current: Scrying Workshop

Following Qubine's advice, Kladeos took Anesia to visit the Windsinger to receive his blessings. Kladeos then flew to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, landing on the nearest piece of land to the sea. He stood, awed at the water stretching out as far as the eye could see from this vantage point.

_ If the sea is this massive, I wonder how big the whole of Sornieth is _ , he thought.

He glanced down at Anesia, who seemed oddly solemn about the sea. Perhaps she was also pondering about the sheer wonder and mystery of this sea.

But they should lollygag too long, Kladeos realized. He peered through the water's surface, uncertain about the Windsinger's blessings. He didn't feel any different. There was only one way to test it: take a dip in the water.

"Here goes nothing," he said. "Wait here."

Carefully, he stepped off the edge of land, sinking into the water without so much as a splash. The ripples on the surface gently intensified with his disturbance. Anesia perked up as she watched him sink, leaning over the edge of land to sniff at the water's surface.

The Windsinger's blessing had worked. Even completely immersed, Kladeos found himself untouched by the water. He could breathe perfectly, much to his relief. Satisfied, he emerged from the water.

"Let's go," he said, scooping Anesia into his arms and sinking down again.

He briefly released the hatchling to see if the Windsinger's blessing was working for her as well. While he couldn't see it on himself, he could see Anesia encased in a bubble that followed her wherever she went.

_ That must be how the blessing works _ , Kladeos thought.  _ It protects us with a bubble of air. _

Not wanting to waste any more time, Kladeos gathered Anesia once more and dove straight towards the Spiral Keep at the very bottom of the sea. The deeper he went, the more he could feel the pressure of the water pressing against the bubble. Thankfully, the Spiral Keep was easy to recognize, as the structure resembled an immense conch. Kladeos dove towards it, quickly finding the entrance. Once inside, he found that the interior was not immersed underwater. In the center of the room was a pot with what looked like a pool of pure, clear water inside.

_ Is this the Scrying Workshop? _ Kladeos wondered.

All they had to do was glimpse into that pot of wonder, and they'd be able to glimpse the future. That was how the scries worked, from what Kladeos had been told.

He set Anesia down on the floor and meandered over to the pot, peering inside, but all he could see was his own faint reflection. Frowning, Kladeos took a step back. Anesia then scampered to the pot, leaping up to the edge and peering into the water. Kladeos peeked at it again as well to see if it would show anything different for her. At first, the pot only showed Anesia's own reflection, but then the water began to ripple softly. When it steadied again, Anesia's reflection had changed subtly. Her features were more pronounced and refined. Kladeos quickly realized what this was.

_ Is that what she'll look like as an adult? _

Kladeos looked at the hatchling beside him, intrigued. He leaned over the pot again, gazing at the surface. The water rippled again, distorting the image. When it cleared again, another hatchling appeared within the image. This one was a purple Guardian with rust wings. The water rippled again briefly, clearing up to reveal another Mirror hatchling with coal scales and rust wings. Another ripple, and the image became another Guardian hatchling with obsidian scales. A final ripple revealed a white Mirror hatchling. It took Kladeos a moment to realize that these were images of the pair's potential offspring. He gazed at Anesia again, filled with a new appreciation for her.

His thoughts were interrupted when Anesia leaned toward the pot, trying to lap at the water with her tongue.

"Hey!" Kladeos scolded, giving her a gentle nudge with his paw. "Don't do that!"

Anesia flailed as she lost her balance, falling off the edge of the pot to the floor. Kladeos peered into the still water once more, only seeing his own reflection on the surface. With a sigh, he stepped back.

"Well, I think we've seen enough. Shall we head back?"

He picked up Anesia again and stepped out of the Scrying Workshop, and back into the crushing torrents of the Tidelord's sea. Kladeos struggled, kicking at the water with his hind legs, and flapping his wings to make his way up to the surface. The water pressure eased up the closer he got. His momentum even carried him above the surface, as he burst out of the water and into the air with a terrific splash. He flapped his wings to keep himself airborne.

"There, that should do it," he remarked. "Let's head home."

He turned around, but before he could depart, something bright red caught his eye. Curious, he stepped over to the object, which turned out to be a large Firebreather cape. Picking up one end into his mouth, he flapped it a few times to beat the dirt off of it. Finally, he fastened it around his neck, letting the cape settle between his wings.

"How do you like that?" he asked Anesia proudly.

Without waiting for an answer, he lowered himself to the ground, allowing her to climb into his back. Anesia sniffed at the strange, soft fabric before clinging to the collar. Once she was settled, Kladeos picked himself back up and took to the air, beating his wings against the wind.

\--------------

Viridian Labyrinth

Coco wasn't sure why he was still sitting outside the Gladekeeper's clearing, watching eagerly as the deity worked on Azalea's treatment. He realized there was nothing he could do, but he couldn't bring himself to leave either. He almost wished that Qubine would give him some kind of task to take his mind off the matter.

Coco noticed movement to his right, and he craned his head to see Kladeos approaching donning his new red cape, Anesia still mounted on his back. The Guardian seemed different somehow, and Coco doubted that it was just because of the cape. Kladeos seemed... _ prouder _ . Coco wasn't sure that he recognized him.

"Kladeos?"

"Coco." Kladeos nodded his greeting. "We're back from the Scrying Workshop."

"And? How was it?"

Kladeos had been ready to ramble about his experience, so he was surprised to find himself searching for an accurate description.

"It was...amazing!" he finally said. "We got to see what Anesia would look like as an adult, and we got to see what our potential offspring would look like."

Coco's eyes widened. "That  _ is _ amazing!" he agreed. "Did you get that cape from the workshop as well?"

"Oh no..." Kladeos reached up, stroking the collar of his cape. "I just found this at the edge of the sea. I don't know how it got there, but I thought it'd be perfect for me. I feel so  _ majestic _ !"

"Majestic..." Coco studied the cape and the effect it had on Kladeos's stature. He had to agree that Kladeos even  _ looked _ majestic with it. "I wonder if there's a cape like that for me."

"I wouldn't doubt it. We'll look the next time we go exploring."

"Let's do it."

Finally, Coco left the clearing and wandered through the lair. As he passed by the apparel hoard, he found Qubine next to the mountain of scattered apparel and armor, carelessly tossing more items into it. Coco decided to enter and scan the clothes with his eyes. Qubine paused as he spotted him.

"Hey, Coco. I see you finally managed to get away from the Gladekeeper's clearing."

Coco twisted his mouth. "Yeah. Kladeos just returned from the Scrying Workshop. He found a red cape of some sort. Come to think of it, it was similar to the cape Azalea was wearing. I was wondering if I could find something like that for me."

"Actually, I might just have something..." Qubine crawled into his giant burlap sack, rummaging through its contents. He pulled himself back out, dragging various garments caught on his head and shoulders, but carried a large Gladeswalker Cape in his mouth. He dropped it on the ground in front of him before speaking again.

"This is the same cape that Azalea wears, only it's much closer to your size."

_ That really is it _ , Coco thought as he reached for it with a paw. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome."

Coco fastened the cape collar around his neck, letting the garment rest on his back. It was soft, warm, and comfortable. "It's just like Kladeos said. It makes me feel majestic. Why don't you try it?"

"No, thank you," Qubine said. "I'm quite comfortable with what I have."

Coco stopped to study Qubine's outfit. The clan leader wore a red vest with gold trim, gold gauntlets and boots, and a matching gold cuff for his tail. He also wore a red mask with painted white streaks.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Coco asked suddenly.

The look of disdain on Qubine's face made Coco wish he hadn't asked.

"Because it reflects who I am, that's all," Qubine said simply.

_ Who he is? _ Coco wondered.

"I...shouldn't have asked," he said.

"Don't worry about it."

Coco watched, his expression perplexed as Qubine turned to leave the hoard den. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he had touched a nerve under the clan leader's scales, but he had no desire to pursue it. Shaking off the thought, Coco left the hoard den as well.


	6. Working Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco finally works up the courage to visit Azalea. Meanwhile, Qubine adds another dragon egg to the clan.

Viridian Labyrinth: Midday

Coco relaxed in his den with a large slab of gray stone on the ground in front of him, delicately carving the surface with a single claw. Kladeos entered the den with Anesia scampering behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Coco paused in his carving to examine the stone. Kladeos moved even closer, looking down at it as well. The name "DUGAN" was roughly carved into it, the letters slightly misshapen but legible.

"I'm carving a marker for Dugan's spot in the Burial Grounds," Coco finally answered.

"Hmm..." Kladeos leaned down, studying the carving more closely. "Well done. It must have taken a lot of work."

"It's certainly kept my mind occupied, so I wouldn't constantly worry about Azalea."

"How is she doing, by the way?"

Coco shook his head. "Still no progress."

"Have you visited her yet?"

Coco only let out a heavy sigh. "No..."

"Why not!? Come on, Coco, you can't avoid her forever!"

"I'm not trying to avoid her! I just..."

Coco trailed off, but he could feel the Guardian's gaze drilling into him. "I'm just...nervous! I'm afraid that...she might not like me."

Kladeos's expression fell flat. "That's foolishness! Do you know what I think? I think she'll be more likely to like you if you take the time to get to know each other."

Coco sighed again, unable to form a proper rebuttal. Kladeos did have a point.

Coco stood up. "All right, I'll go visit her." He picked up the makeshift tombstone. "But first, I'll place this in the Burial Grounds."

Kladeos followed him as he carried the tombstone through the lair into the Burial Grounds. Approaching Dugan's grave, Kladeos raked a shallow column of dirt with a large paw. Coco set the tombstone in place, and Kladeos gathered the dirt around the base, patting it until it was firm.

"All right..." Coco took a deep breath, summoning his courage. "I'm going to see Azalea now."

"Need me to come with you?"

Kladeos' question took Coco off guard. Coco realized that having Kladeos with him would make him feel even more awkward.

"No, I'll be fine," Coco assured him.

"All right then." 

Kladeos turned to Dugan's grave, his expression somber. Coco watched him for a moment, deducing that he was paying his respects. As he quietly left the Burial Grounds, Coco decided that he'd better take a small gift. Hopefully the apparel hoard would have something. However, on the way to the apparel den, he found the perfect little gift, a fresh red rose growing on a bush. Coco smiled as he picked the rose. Now he was ready.

Moving on to the Gladekeeper's den, Coco hesitated at the entrance. He could already feel his heartbeat accelerating in his chest.

_ Don't back out now _ , he thought to himself.

He pushed himself through the entrance, as if forcing himself through an invisible barrier erected by his own mind. Now that he was inside the den, taking the last few steps to Azalea was much easier. He reached the edge of the nest where she rested, getting a closer look at her for the first time since he had matured.

"Azalea...?" he called softly.

The Fae's eyes fluttered open as she craned her head to look up at him. "Hmm...? Are you...Coco?"

"Yeah..." Coco forced a smile, though his muscles still quivered like a bowstring's pulse. Bringing up the rose with a paw, he carefully set it in the nest beside her.

"What's this...?" she asked. "A rose...?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm not hungry...and I don't eat roses anyway."

Coco mentally slapped himself while trying to refrain from physically doing so. "I...didn't bring it as food..."

_ "A rose is considered a declaration of love," _ the Gladekeeper's voice announced above them.

Azalea gripped the stem of the rose shakily, looking down into the pedals and stroking them tenderly.

"Coco...it's beautiful...you didn't have to..."

Coco bowed his head. "I felt like I had to do something."

Azalea forced a weak smile. "So...tell me about yourself?"

"Well..." Coco stammered. "I'm not sure how much there is to tell. I was only hatched a few days ago..."

Although come to think of it, it felt like too much has happened in the last few days. Coco supposed that there was no harm in talking about it.

"I hatched from the egg that the Gladekeeper gave to Qubine. I'm supposed to help him put an end to this plague. We've found two other eggs, Dugan and Kladeos, but Dugan died in the Scorched Forest. Kladeos and I have been waiting for another healer to join us in the Passage. Hopefully when you and I..." Coco paused, omitting that particular expression, certain that Azalea knew what he was referring to. "We should be able to produce some offspring with a healing ability."

Azalea let out a shaky sigh. "I see...but I still can't breed..."

Coco looked at her firmly. "One day you will be strong enough. One way or another, we'll beat this plague."

Azalea felt her heart warming. "I...appreciate it..." She closed her eyes, resting her head in the nest.

Coco panicked for a brief second before stopping himself.  _ She must have fallen asleep _ , he thought.  _ I'd better let her rest... _

He stepped back, and then turned and walked out of the Gladekeeper's den.

"That was short."

Coco whirled around with a start to see Qubine standing behind him, with a medium-sized sack on his back. "You were spying on me!?"

"Simply observing," Qubine assured him. "Don't worry, I didn't hear your conversation or anything."

Coco seemed appeased, lowering his gaze to the ground. "We didn't talk about much of anything. She needed to rest, so I didn't want to disturb her."

"Fair enough."

Coco was about to leave when he suddenly picked up a putrid smell. He sniffed at the air, trying to discern where the smell was coming from. The more he sniffed, the stronger the odor became, and he resisted the urge to retch. He clamped his snout shut for fear of vomiting.

"What is that smell?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh, you must be smelling this..."

Qubine set his pack down and opened it, pulling out a bile-colored egg. The stench only intensified with its exposure to the open air.

"Ugh, disgusting!" Coco spat. "What is that, a rotten egg?"

"It's a Plague egg," Qubine corrected him. "The stench should go away once it hatches and we dispose of the shell."

"I hope it hatches soon. That thing reeks!"

Just then, Kladeos emerged from the branches, Anesia trailing behind. Kladeos immediately noticed the odor, waving his paw in front of his face.

"Ew, what died over here!?" he exclaimed.

"Nothing died," Qubine said calmly. "Rather, a new dragon is about to be born. It only has this putrid smell because it's from the Plague flight."

"The Plague flight!?" Kladeos gasped. "Get rid of it!"

Qubine glowered at him dangerously. "Why?"

The question took Kladeos off balance, and he sputtered for words for a moment before finally spitting out a coherent sentence. "You told us yourself, that your clan was dying because of a plague!"

"Because of a  _ plague _ , yes, but not because of a Plague  _ dragon _ . Several of the dragons in my clan came from the Plague flight, and they were infected all the same. Therefore, I will not shun a dragon just because of the element they were hatched with."

Kladeos sighed, defeated, as he looked at the clan leader in awe. Despite being significantly smaller than the Guardian, Qubine addressed him calmly and firmly. It only solidified his status as a leader and a warrior.

"All right, I see your point," Kladeos sighed.

Qubine turned back to the egg, carefully tapping the slimy shell with a claw. A split second later, the shell cracked, as if answering his call. Coco and Kladeos jumped with a start. Even Qubine shrank back a bit before peering at the egg again. The shell continued to crack, giving way for the new hatchling, a blue Guardian with piercing red eyes. Its wings were a stonewash color. Qubine lifted it by the tail.

"It's another female," he announced. "I think I'll call her...Corinna."

Coco and Kladeos nodded their approval.

"Put the hatchlings in the den with Shayla," Qubine instructed. "I'm going to do my daily scavenging."

Once they nodded again, Qubine took to the air, tearing through the tree branches above. Leaves drifted down to the ground around them. Coco took Anesia, while Kladeos took Corinna, and they made their way towards Shayla's den.

"I think we'd better start doing some daily scavenging ourselves," Coco remarked.

Kladeos shot him a look. "That would leave the hatchlings unattended."

"We don't have to go at the same time..."

"But I can't let you go alone either!"

Coco's eyes narrowed, and his mouth went flat. "Look, I won't go any farther than the Woodland Path. The hatchlings should be fine for a short while if we leave them alone. Besides, Anesia should mature anytime now."

Kladeos paused, switching his gaze from Coco to the hatchlings. He could see his partner's point. Despite still being a hatchling, Anesia seemed to be well-behaved. Perhaps she had already matured mentally. Kladeos turned to Coco again.

"All right, I'll go with you," he said. "But let's make it short!"

Coco suppressed his amusement. "All right."

\----------

Qubine returned from his scavenging trip carrying a burlap sack full of food. He headed straight for his den where Shayla was still resting. Corinna was there as well, nibbling her rear scales. Qubine's eyes narrowed; he had instructed Coco and Kladeos to place both hatchlings here.

_ Where is Anesia? _ he wondered.

For that matter, where were Coco and Kladeos?

Dumping his sack on the ground, Qubine searched the lair, first checking Coco and Kladeos's den, and then all the others, but there was no sign of either of them.

Qubine sighed. All right, no need to panic. They've made it to the Scorched Forest so far, so they can handle themselves, somewhat. They should be smart enough to not go farther than that. But did they take Anesia with them?

Dropping the concern for the moment, Qubine returned to Shayla's side, retrieving some large insects from the sack.

"Shayla?" he called softly. "It's time to eat."

Shayla's eyes fluttered open, glancing up weakly. "I'm..."

She wasn't hungry, but she had to eat. She could feel the plague ravaging her body, eating at her from within. She couldn't let it win. Qubine was working his hardest to save her and the rest of the clan, and she had to help him, if only by cooperating with the feeding time.

"All right..." she muttered finally.

Qubine took a roach in his claws, holding it to Shayla's mouth. She took it, chewing it slowly with a light crunch.

As Qubine continued to feet her, Corinna was wrenching her head into the open sack, sniffing around. Qubine turned his head towards her.

"Oh, I guess you need to eat as well, huh?"

Walking up to the sack, he pulled the hatchling out. He then reached inside, pulling out a lifeless rabbit. "Here you go."

He set the rabbit in front of Corinna, who promptly took the animal into her mouth, swallowing it whole with an audible gulp. Satisfied, Corinna settled down by a tree for a nap. Qubine nodded, appreciating that she wouldn't cause any trouble, and resumed feeding Shayla.

\------------

Coco and Kladeos returned from their own trip, each one carrying a burlap sack full of loot. They looked at each other, silently deciding to check in with Qubine first. They trekked through the jungle lair to the leader's den, where he was still tending to the ailing Shayla. Corinna was still napping at the edge of the clearing.

"Qubine...?" Coco called softly.

Qubine paused, turning to them. "There you are. Where is Anesia? I told you to leave both hatchlings in this den."

"We...did..." Coco said as he and Kladeos exchanged a nervous glance.

"She must have wandered off or something," Kladeos suggested.

"We'll check our den first."

"Right."

Dumping their sacks on the ground, Coco and Kladeos fled from the clearing. Taken by curiosity, Qubine crawled over to the sacks and peeked inside them. They contained the same types of loot that Qubine himself had been collecting. He smiled to himself, nodding in approval.

_ They've certainly become capable of scavenging now _ , he thought.  _ Things should become a little easier from here on... _

Coco and Kladeos tore through fallen leaves and branches as they dashed for their den. When they tore through the den entrance just as recklessly, they skidded to a halt. Kladeos's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped as he let out a low gasp. Coco's mouth hung open as well; he shared Kladeos's shock although his reactions were less pronounced.

Anesia turned to face them, her figure fully formed, her eyes more mature. She had become an adult dragon.

Anesia addressed the pair in an alluring voice. "Hello, boys."


	7. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for Coco and Azalea to breed. Anesia is brought up to speed on the plague situation. Corinna turns out to be quite the rebellious dragon.

Viridian Labyrinth

Now that Anesia was grown, Coco and Kladeos decided to fill her in briefly.

"Anesia," Kladeos said. "What do you remember from your youth?"

Anesia studied the red Guardian for a moment. "I remember...you, I think. Your name is Kladeos, right?"

"That's right."

Anesia looked at Coco. "I...think I remember you? It's a little more vague, though..."

Coco nodded; it wasn't any more than he had been expecting. "I'm Coco."

Anesia returned the nod. "It's good to meet you, Coco."

"Do you remember anything else?" Kladeos asked.

"I remember..." Anesia paused, digging into her memory. "I remember...seeing my reflection in water."

"Ah, that must be from our visit to the Scrying Workshop."

"Scrying Workshop?"

"It's a place where you can get a glimpse of yourself in the future. For example, we got to see what you would look like as an adult before you came of age."

"I see..."

Kladeos reached up with a paw, scratching his head. "It was interesting, but I doubt I'll ever go there again. Swimming down to the bottom of the Sea of a Thousand Currents really takes a lot out of you."

Coco snapped his head towards him. "You did  _ what _ ??"

Kladeos shook his head, waving his paw. "Never mind. Anyway, we'd better report to Qubine. He'll want to see Anesia grown up, I'm sure."

"Qubine?" Anesia interjected.

"The leader of our clan," Kladeos told her. "He's the one who found your egg and brought it in."

"I see. I suppose I should thank him."

"Come with us. He should be in his den."

Coco and Kladeos led the way through the lair, heading into Qubine's den. The clan leader was watching the Spiral dragon as she slept beside him.

"Qubine," Coco called out.

Qubine straightened himself, turning to face him. "Good morning."

Coco and Kladeos stepped into the den, and then stood on either side of the entrance, nodding to Anesia to urge her in. Anesia stepped forward nervously, bowing her head.

"Qubine..." she greeted him, a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

Qubine recognized her instantly. "Anesia. You look well."

"I...thank you. Coco and Kladeos said that you brought my egg in as well. I should thank you for that."

Qubine gave her a nod. "The truth is, we could use your help, if you don't mind."

"My help?"

Qubine turned away, looking down at Shayla again. "My old clan is suffering from a plague, so I'm raising a new clan to save it. I'll need the clan to breed with one another, as well as train themselves to become strong. Though we'll still need more time before you can do either."

Anesia stared at him, and then at the Spiral. "What can I do?"

"I've already assigned for you to breed with Kladeos when you're ready. As for training, you will take the Passage, battling against different beasts across Sornieth. But you can't do that without a proper team. And a proper team will need a healer, which we have none right now."

"I understand. What can I do while I'm waiting?"

"For now, you can help out around the lair. Tend to the sick dragons and keep an eye on the hatchlings. Right now, the only hatchling is Corinna." Qubine glanced over at Corinna, who was napping at the edge of the clearing. "That will help us out, while the rest of us are out training or scavenging."

Anesia nodded. "I'll do what I can."

Suddenly, the Gladekeeper's gentle voice echoed around them.

_ "Qubine and clan, hear my words. Azalea's strength has been restored, and she is now ready to breed." _

Upon hearing those words, Coco felt a knot in his stomach. His legs quivered, suddenly feeling like jelly, until he lost his balance and fell on his side with a dull thud. Kladeos and Anesia craned their heads towards him.

"Coco..." Kladeos said.

Coco picked himself up. "I'm fine. I don't know what came over me..."

"I know exactly what came over you," Qubine said matter-of-factly. "You're nervous about breeding, aren't you?"

Coco hung his head. "You nailed it..."

"Well, it's time. Head on over to the Gladekeeper's den to begin."

Kladeos clamped a large paw on Coco's shoulder. "Good luck, buddy. You've got this."

"Thanks..."

Coco looked at each of them, nodding his goodbyes before leaving the den.

Kladeos looked at Anesia, who stared blankly in the direction where Coco had left.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Anesia turned to him. "I'm fine. This is just a lot to swallow."

"It is for all of us at first."

Qubine turned to face her as well. "Like I said, you'll have time to adjust before the real challenge begins."

Suddenly, he felt a piercing pain at the tip of his tail. He let out an agonized roar, causing Kladeos and Anesia to jump with a start. Qubine's eyes narrowed as he looked back to see the source of the pain; Corinna had clamped down on his tail with her powerful jaws. He raised his tail, but Corinna held on, getting picked up along with it.

"You're kidding!" Qubine snarled. "Get off!"

He threw his tail down, slamming the Guardian hatchling onto the ground, dislodging her grip. Corinna shuffled to her feet, shaking her head to recover. Qubine faced her, and then spit out a small chunk of ice from his mouth. The ice shattered on impact as it struck the hatchling, sending her flying and crashing into a tree. Kladeos and Anesia gasped at what they felt was a show of unnecessary force. They immediately rushed over to Corinna, who had been knocked out from the blow.

"She's all right," Kladeos said. "But what was that for!?"

"Just a reflex," Qubine said. "She needs to learn not to attack us like that. Now, go ahead and put her down for a nap."

\------------

As Coco made his way towards the Gladekeeper's den, where Azalea was waiting for him, the jungle path felt much longer. Conflicted with emotions, Coco couldn't decide if he wanted to take his time, or to rush there as quickly as possible. While lost in his thoughts, he almost passed the Gladekeeper's den, until he caught sight of Azalea from the corner of his eye. He stopped, taking another deep breath, and then pushed himself through the entrance.

_ This is it _ , he thought.

He approached the nest and looked at Azalea, who was sitting upright, looking much healthier than she had been. Coco found her even more beautiful now that the Gladekeeper had breathed more life into her.

"Azalea..." Coco greeted her with a nod.

Azalea beamed up at him, smiling. "Are you ready?"

Coco took another deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He climbed into the nest carefully. He and Azalea gazed longingly into each other's eyes for a long moment, and then they began to nuzzle their heads together.

\-----------

Shortly after, the Gladekeeper called out to the clan.

_ "Attention, clan. Coco and Azalea are now the proud parents of three eggs." _

"Three eggs..." Qubine nodded. "That's good."

Shayla was awake as well, when the Gladekeeper made her announcement. "I'm so happy for them..." she muttered.

Qubine looked at her, not realizing that she had been awake. Seeing her with a small, brief happiness gave him a sense of relief. He would take any relief he could get.

"Indeed," he agreed.

\-----------------------

Several days later...

Coco woke up to a soft but distinct cracking sound. His eyes immediately fell on the three eggs between him and Azalea.

"Azalea..." he said, nudging his mate gently. "Something's happening..."

"Hmm...?" Azalea blinked as she opened her eyes. "Is it time...?"

The tiny leaves fell from the tip of the center egg. The shell then began to open, revealing a Fae hatchling with chocolate-colored scales and aqua wings. Azalea's eyes widened in wonder.

"It's...beautiful..." she uttered softly.

Coco nodded in agreement. "And now the other two..."

Then he noticed that something was off about the other two eggs. The leaves had already fallen from the tip, and the shells looked gray and wilted. "Something's wrong with the other two."

Azalea prodded one shell gently with her talon, and the shell seemed to crack under the pressure. "They're dead..." she said sadly. "Most likely because of the plague..."

Coco shook his head as he felt his heart sank. "This  _ plague _ ..." he grumbled, clenching a paw, wishing he could just crush the plague into oblivion.

Azalea turned back to the sole surviving hatchling. "But still, we have one. That was all I could have asked for..."

She stroked the hatchling from head to toe, checking its sex in the process. "It's a male. Coco...this is our son."

Coco looked at the hatchling, feeling his entire perspective on life irrevocably altered. "I'm a father..."

"What do you think we should name him?" Azalea asked.

"I..." Coco blinked, now wondering how Qubine chose the names for the hatchlings he had obtained. He had seemed to pull the names right out of the blue, and for all Coco knew, he might have.

"I...don't know..." Coco finally admitted.

"How about..." Azalea pondered for a moment. "Do you think Kincaid would be a good name for him?"

"Kincaid?" Coco suppressed a chuckle. Had Azalea pulled that out of the blue as well? It hardly mattered to Coco, as he couldn't think of a better name. "Well, it's as good a name as any, I suppose."

"All right then, Kincaid it is."

\--------------

While Kincaid was hatching from his egg, Corinna had matured into an adult. After being filled in on the plague and the Passage, she made her way to Qubine's den.

"Qubine!" she snapped, standing over the Mirror with her towering figure.

Qubine faced her completely, calmly responding, "Yes?"

Corinna straightened her neck, trying to make herself even taller, annoyed by the clan leader's calmness.

"Kladeos and Anesia told me about the plague and the Passage, and that you were the one who gave me this awful name."

Qubine looked at her sideways. "Did you come to me just to complain about your name?"

"Well...yeah! It's lame!"

Qubine sighed, clutching his forehead with a paw, as if trying to fight off a headache. He wouldn't call himself an expert at giving names, but there were more important matters to argue about.

"Fine. What would you rather call yourself then?"

Corinna flinched, taken off guard by the question. She hadn't expected to win this easily, given how tough she'd heard that Qubine was.

"How about...Saphira."

"Saphira it is," Qubine agreed, dismissing the subject.

Saphira nodded, only momentarily satisfied, then she moved on to the next complaint. "Now about this 'Passage.' When do I begin?"

"When you have a team," Qubine answered simply. "You can team up with Anesia, but you'll still need a healer. Hopefully Coco and Azalea can hatch some Faes who can serve that purpose."

"A healer?"

"Yes, one who can save your life in battle. We've already had one dragon die in the Passage, and I'd rather not have any more."

"Hmph! That dragon must have been pathetic if he died in the Passage."

Qubine's lip slid upward in a fierce snarl. "If you don't tame your arrogance, you'll be next!"

He turned and began to leave the den, not giving Saphira a chance to respond to the warning.


	8. Brave Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the birth of Coco and Azalea's hatchling, Azalea makes a courageous decision. The old clan loses a dragon to the plague. Qubine brings a Water egg into the clan.

Viridian Labyrinth

Now that Coco and Azalea had their new hatchling, they decided to introduce him to the clan. Azalea braved the lair now, venturing out of the Gladekeeper's den to meet the rest of the new clan as well.

Qubine and the others were gathered in the center clearing of the lair when Coco and Azalea entered with the hatchling Kincaid in tow.

"Everyone," Coco announced. "This is our son, Kincaid."

He set the hatchling in front of him. Kincaid straightened himself, looking around, more at his surroundings than at the adult dragons.

"He's adorable!" Anesia gushed.

Kladeos twisted his mouth. "I thought the Gladekeeper said you had three eggs?"

Coco lowered his head in shame. "The other two didn't make it."

Kladeos frowned. "Oh..."

"I'm sorry, everyone..." Azalea said. "It's because of me...the plague. We sort of expected this to happen. I'm just glad to have one..."

Qubine nodded. "We're especially lucky that the survivor is a Fae. He can become a healer when he matures, and with his help, Coco and Kladeos can resume their Passage."

"What about us!?" Saphira pitched in. "When do we start our Passage!?"

Qubine glared at her. "I told you, when we find another healer for you. Since Coco and Azalea only hatched one potential healer, we'll still need to find one more."

Azalea closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating deeply. She opened her eyes, looking over at Qubine. "I'll go."

"What!?" Coco moved closer to her. "Azalea, no! I can't let you put yourself in danger, especially not while you're ill!"

"If the rest of you will put yourselves in danger, then so will I," Azalea told him. "It's our best chance of rebuilding our clan."

Coco shook his head, wanting to protest further before realizing that he would only end up repeating himself. He turned towards the clan leader instead. "Qubine!"

Azalea looked at Qubine as well. "Qubine, please!"

Qubine felt all eyes on him as he regarded the Fae coolly. While he shared Coco's sentiment, he also recognized Azalea's determination, and also felt the urgency to strengthen the clan by any means, despite the risks.

"If you're certain," he finally responded.

"I am certain," Azalea said.

"Very well then. You'll join Anesia and Saphira. When Kincaid matures, I'll train him enough so that he can join Coco and Kladeos."

Azalea nodded. "Thank you."

Coco glared at Anesia and Saphira. "You two had better keep a close eye on her!"

"We will," Anesia said. "I promise."

"Hmph!" Saphira huffed. "Wimps!"

Everyone fixed their eyes on the blue Guardian. Qubine, Coco, and Kladeos looked annoyed, while Anesia and Azalea blinked at her, puzzled.

"What?" Saphira asked awkwardly.

Qubine rolled his eyes and sighed. "Moving on. Now that our clan is growing, I'll designate this clearing to be our assembly area. Occasionally I'll call everyone together to discuss matters regarding the status of our clan, and any findings we come across. Additionally, anyone may request an assembly if they have anything important to share with the clan. Is everyone clear on this?"

Everyone nodded, responding in the affirmative.

Qubine nodded, satisfied. "Good. This assembly is dismissed."

The dragons began to leave the clearing. Qubine remained, reflecting on the current status of the clan. He had only started with one egg, Coco, but now he had Kladeos, Anesia, Saphira, even Azalea and the new hatchling, Kincaid. Only one dragon had been lost so far. Overall, the clan was doing well. Qubine smiled to himself, pleased with the progress they had made.

\----------------

Anesia, Saphira, and Azalea landed in the Viridian Labyrinth after fighting some battles in their Passage. Anesia and Saphira breathed heavily, feeling the exercise working through their muscles. Azalea was panting as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Azalea!" Coco called, rushing up to her and looking her over. "Are you hurt?"

Azalea looked up at him to assure him. "I'm okay. I'm just tired."

"She really worked hard out there," Anesia said. "I think we underestimated the creatures we fought. If it weren't for her healing, we would have been finished."

"They were tougher than I thought," Saphira agreed. "But I like the challenge. With more training, I'll become strong, really strong!"

"Qubine wasn't kidding about the importance of healers," Kladeos interjected. "I'm just glad you all made it back safely."

"Me, too," Anesia said. "We'll have to be more careful out there."

"I'm glad you understand," Qubine interjected as he entered the clearing.

"Qubine," Anesia acknowledged him. "Do you have any advice for continuing the Passage?"

"Advice? Nothing beyond common sense. Always keep your guard up, and know your element."

"Our element?"

"That's right." Qubine moved to stand in front of Anesia, addressing her directly. "Anesia, your element is Earth. Learn its strengths and weaknesses, and utilize the earth to its maximum efficiency."

Qubine turned to address the clan once more. "That goes for the rest of you as well, with your respective elements. Understand?"

The dragons nodded.

Kincaid emerged from an underbrush, perking his head up at the adult dragons. He hopped in place, flapping his tiny wings.

"Kincaid..." Azalea said, suppressing a giggle. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to fly a little early, aren't you?" Kladeos asked.

Kincaid hopped in place a few more times before turning his back to the clan. He crawled away a few feet, craning his head back. Moving towards the underbrush again, the hatchling looked back at them again.

Qubine frowned, squinting at the hatchling. "I think he might be trying to tell us something..."

Azalea moved towards her son, lowering her head to meet his short height. "What is it, Kincaid?"

Now that Kincaid had their attention, he began to skitter away. Azalea glanced back at the clan before following. The other dragons exchanged a concerned glance as they followed as well.

Kincaid led the way, still seemingly trying to fly. The dragons could sense his urgency as they trailed behind him. Kincaid turned into a clearing, where a female stonewash Guardian dragon lay, along with a purple Fae with iridescent scales. The Guardian dragon's body heaved with her deep, rasping breaths. The Fae beside her was unmoving. The new clan entered the clearing, making way for Qubine to enter behind them. He looked over the ailing dragons for a moment before approaching the Guardian.

"Sabori?"

The female Guardian, Sabori, opened her eyes, looking at the clan leader.

"Vaughn...he's not moving...not responding. Help him..."

The clan turned their attention to the purple Fae. Azalea, who was closest to him in both size and proximity, examined him for vital signs. The other dragons watched her intently, waiting for her verdict. After a moment, she looked up at them, sadly shaking her head.

Qubine turned back to Sabori. "I'm sorry, Sabori. He's gone."

Sabori clenched a paw, crushing a ball of dirt, lacking the strength to scream or weep with grief. Her face contorted into a pained expression.

Qubine shook his head as well, lacking the words to truly console her. "We'll take him to be buried. You just hold on in the meantime."

Coco began to gather up Vaughn into his paws. As the clan began to leave, Sabori called out to them.

"Wait..."

The dragons stopped, turning back to her.

"If I die, I wish to be buried beside him."

Qubine nodded, acknowledging her wish. "We'll do that." He then turned to Coco. "Coco, would you be willing to make a gravestone for Vaughn?"

Coco turned to him, surprised at the question. The gravestone he had carved for Dugan was meant as a distraction, and it had worked. He hadn't expected to make a regular habit out of it. On the other hand, it was a distraction that he felt he would sorely need in the coming days.

"I...I can do that."

"Great." Qubine nodded to the other dragons.  Then they turned, leaving Sabori to mourn her loss in peace. They returned to the main clearing of the lair, engulfed by silence. A few moments later, the Gladekeeper's voice echoed throughout the lair.

"Clan, hear my words. The time has come for Kladeos and Anesia to breed."

The dragons all turned their gaze to the pair. Kladeos and Anesia craned their heads to look at one another. Despite the time they had spent together during Anesia's youthful days, they felt as though they were looking at a complete stranger.

"You heard her," Qubine barked, interrupting their sentiment.

Kladeos bowed his head. "Yes, of course." He nodded to Anesia. "Are you ready?"

Anesia returned the nod. "As ready as I'll ever be..."

The clan trudged through the lair to the Nesting Grounds, where Kladeos and Anesia entered and climbed into the nest.

"There is one more thing," the Gladekeeper announced. "The Tidelord has sent his regards and gifted us with this egg."

A large vine snaked down from above, cradling a Water egg. Qubine picked up the egg with both paws.

"Tell him he has our gratitude," he said.

"Do you mind??" Kladeos hissed from the nest.

Qubine glanced up at him, tempted to huff in amusement, but managed to refrain. "Of course." To the clan, he said, "Let's go."

The clan nodded to him, also smirking at the implied demand for privacy. They left the Nesting Grounds, and Kladeos and Anesia began to create their miracle.

\--------------------

When the clan retreated to their separate dens, Qubine brought the Water egg back to his own den, settling down beside Shayla. The Spiral happened to be awake, as she glanced at the egg.

"Is that...a Water egg?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's a gift from the Tidelord," Qubine informed her.

"That's nice..." Shayla rested her head in the leaves, softly closing her eyes.

_ She didn't sound very enthused, _ Qubine thought, although he knew it was more from her lack of energy than an actual disinterest. He focused on the egg, his eyes widening as the barnacles began to crack.

"It's about to hatch!" he declared.

"Hmm?" Shayla perked up to watch the egg.

Liquid ooze trickled down the shell as it began to split open, revealing a Fae with magenta scales and sky blue wings.

"Well, this is a bright one," Qubine commented.


	9. The Old Clan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qubine shares some information about his old clan. Kladeos and Anesia wait for their eggs to hatch.

Qubine had settled down in his den, nuzzling Shayla, assuring her that they would survive this plague, as he has done every day. He suddenly felt a presence behind him.

"Yes?" he asked aloud before actually turning to face the dragons entering the den.

Coco and Saphira approached the clan leader, keeping a respectful distance.

"We've just been wondering..." Coco began. "You've been guiding us through this whole situation, but we still don't really know anything about you."

"So, you want to know about me?"

"Yes...about you, as well as the clan you're trying to save." Coco took a glance at Shayla, who appeared to be asleep. "And Shayla...she's your mate, isn't she?"

"That she is..." Qubine rested a hand on Shayla's neck, checking her pulse. He then backed up, relaxing himself on the ground. "All right...I suppose it's only fair to tell you a little bit about us."

Coco and Saphira lay down on the ground as well, expecting a rather long talk.

"The clan was originally founded by Usha and Grim," Qubine explained. "Usha's vision was simply one of love and beauty. Her entire mission for the clan was to bring out the beauty in each dragon, and ensure that each one had a mate. She would go as far as to go out and seek mates for any dragons who were single."

Saphira shook her head, suppressing a laugh. "I won't lie, that is some impressive dedication."

"And Shayla...?" Coco inquired.

Qubine closed his eyes with a sigh. "Yes...Shayla is the dragon that Usha chose as my mate. And we couldn't be happier. So I can say that Usha knows what she's doing..."

"How did you come to join the clan?" Coco asked.

"Despite the desire for peace, Usha and Grim knew that threats were out there," Qubine explained. "So they began to train themselves in combat. However, it was too much for the two alone. They needed a third dragon to train with them, so they approached me. I didn't have a home at the time, so I accepted. The three of us trained in the Passage, and together we took responsibility for defending the clan."

"So that's what you're doing now..." Saphira interjected.

"Exactly. This plague is different from anything we've ever prepared for." Qubine looked away, hating to admit the truth, though it was unavoidable. "Honestly...we weren't prepared. So I've had to start from the ground up, not only training a new clan in combat, but also gain some knowledge of medicine. No one in our clan knew anything about it, and needless to say, none of you do either."

"It doesn't even sound like something I can learn..." Coco lamented.

"It's not impossible, but it would be very difficult. An Arcane dragon would be much better suited for studying these things, as they have a better knack for discovery than most elements. And perhaps a Plague dragon would have a better chance of learning more about this disease." Qubine turned to Saphira. "What do you say?"

"You want  _ me _ to learn about this plague?" Saphira snapped. "What's in it for me?"

"Life," Qubine told her matter-of-factly. "This is a battle for survival. Both of our clans are at risk. The sooner we can end this thing, the better. So,  _ please _ ."

He gritted his teeth, struggling to refrain from beating some sense into her.

Saphira waived one of her massive paws dismissively. "Fine, fine, I'll do it."

Qubine sighed, feeling the irritation lifting from his shoulders. "Thank you."

Coco decided to return to the previous subject. "What more can you tell us about your old clan?"

Qubine raised both of his right eyes. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Coco found himself taken aback. "Well...about that dragon who died?"

"That was Vaughn. He was the eldest dragon in the clan. I can't imagine how devastated Sabori must be. The pair had many iridescent hatchlings together."

"Iridescent?" Coco blinked.

Qubine sighed. "Right...you don't know about genes, do you? As a dragon lives on, they may develop genes for their scales or wings, or they may develop a hidden tertiary gene. They can develop naturally, or through magical scrolls. Usha brought Vaughn into the clan as a mate for Sabori due to the Iridescent gene. The only thing Usha enjoys more than playing matchmaker is seeing all the hatchlings that her paired dragons have."

"Wow, she sounds like a crazy lady," Saphira remarked.

"Crazy..." Qubine tapped his chin. "I'm not sure that's the word I'd use. Sometimes I envy her enthusiasm, but other times I don't."

"And now you're playing matchmaker in Usha's place," Coco observed. "I'm really curious about how Kladeos and Anesia's hatchlings will turn out. But what about the Passage?"

"I'd say put the Passage on hold until they're finished with their nest," Qubine instructed. "Give them a chance to care for their hatchlings."

"Got it. Thanks." Coco stood up and began to leave the den. Saphira watched him leave, and then began to follow.

_ I guess they're satisfied _ , Qubine thought. He settled down next to Shayla and began to rest.

\-------

Coco found himself curious about how Kladeos and Anesia's eggs were doing. Would they mind if he paid them a visit? The only way to know would be to do a quick check.

Coco made his way to the Nesting Grounds, carefully peeking into the clearing where the nest rested.

"Kladeos...?"

Anesia turned to him, relaxing with Kladeos, with their three eggs resting safely between them.

"Coco," Anesia said amiably.

"Hey, Coco," Kladeos added. "Come on in."

Taking the invitation, Coco stepped in, looking at the eggs. "How are things going in here?"

"So far so good," Kladeos said. "They should hatch any day now. How are things going out there?"

Coco shrugged. "About as well as can be expected. We got Qubine to tell us a bit about his old clan."

"Really? What did he say?" Anesia asked.

"Shayla, the Spiral he's taking care of, is his mate. Usha, the matriarch, simply wanted her clan to be happy and beautiful. She even goes as far as to choose mates for her clan members. Usha chose Shayla as Qubine's mate, and you can see how much they care for each other."

"Yes, I have seen how Qubine cares for Shayla," Anesia admitted.

"The Fae dragon who died was chosen as a mate for Sabori," Coco continued. "Usha brought them together because they both had the iridescent gene. They've had many hatchlings together. Qubine said that the only thing Usha enjoys more than matchmaking is seeing all the hatchlings that are born."

Kladeos suppressed a chuckle. "Well, I don't know if we'll have any more hatchlings after this. I think three is enough."

"Agreed," Anesia said.

"What about you?" Kladeos asked Coco. "I'm sure you could use some more hatchlings."

Coco sighed. "I don't know...it was hard enough losing the other two. Plus...I'm not sure if Azalea would have the strength to breed again."

"Hmm, you're right; I hadn't thought of that." Kladeos stood up, stretching. "Well, I think I need to walk around for a bit. Mind if I help out with the tasks around the lair?"

"Not at all," Coco said.

Kladeos turned to Anesia, awaiting her response.

"Go ahead," she said. "I'll stay here with the eggs. But when you get back, I'd like to go out and stretch myself."

Kladeos nodded. "All right. I'll see you later."

Coco and Kladeos turned and crawled out of the Nesting Grounds.

\---------

The pair found Qubine just as he was returning from another scavenging run. The clan leader was carrying some sort of bright glowing orb, which the dragons had to shield their eyes from.

"Gah, what is that!?" Coco exclaimed.

"This is an egg from the Light flight," Qubine told him. "I was quite lucky to find two eggs today. The other one is from the Wind flight, which I left with your hatchling."

Suddenly, Qubine felt the egg cracking in his paws. He quickly set it down in front of him. The light that filtered through the cracks was even brighter than the egg itself. The dragons continued to shield their eyes until the light finally died out. When they were able to look, they found a baby Fae with orange scales and blue wings sitting on the shattered shells.

"Another Fae..." Qubine remarked, lifting it up by the tail to check between its legs. "And another male."

"What are we going to do with all these males?" Kladeos asked.

"There's nothing we can do about that," Qubine lamented. "However, we can use a scroll to change his breed. Since he's already magically inclined as a Fae, I'd suggest using a Tundra breed scroll, as Tundras are another magically inclined breed. I'll take care of that part. Kladeos, how goes your nest? Is there a particular reason you're out here?"

"It's going well," Kladeos told him. "The eggs are still looking healthy. They should be close to hatching. I just thought I'd stretch my legs and help out around the lair a bit. Anesia's staying with the eggs."

Qubine nodded. "Good to hear. Coco, it's been several days since your son hatched. You should go check on him."

"Right," Coco acknowledged. "Where is he?"

"Last I saw, he was in the apparel hoard."

"Let's go."

Coco headed towards the clearing with Qubine and Kladeos in tow. The hoard of apparel in the clear was just that - a towering mountain of assorted apparel and armor with no organization whatsoever. In front of the apparel pile, Coco found his son, no longer a hatchling. Kincaid had already chosen his apparel from the hoard; a Duneglider Cape. It was the same style as Coco and Kladeos's capes; the only difference was its tan color.

"Kincaid...?" Coco asked, blinking at his son.

Kincaid turned to acknowledge him. "Father."

Coco approached him, looking him over, a mix of emotions washing through him. A hint of disbelief that the now mature Fae in front of him was his son, as well as a sense of pride. He also felt a sense of worry, knowing that Kincaid was going to take Dugan's place in the Passage, and there was always the possibility that Kincaid would share the same fate. Coco's expression hardened as he vowed to himself not to let that happen.

"Is something wrong?" Kincaid asked, noting his father's expression.

Coco shook his head. "Nothing. I'm proud of you."

Kincaid looked puzzled. "But I haven't done anything..."

"You're my son, and you've become an adult. That's something to be proud of, I think."

Qubine stepped around Coco to address Kincaid. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but where is the other hatchling? The magenta Fae?"

"He's..." Kincaid looked around at the base of the apparel pile. "He was just here a minute ago. He couldn't have gone far."

He crawled on all fours, closely examining the clothing at the base of the pile. He came to a stop near a worn-out pirate hat, a white shirt, and leather black pants and boots. Kincaid lifted the pirate hat, and the magenta Fae looked up from under it.

"Ah, there he is," Kincaid said.

Kladeos stepped forward to take a look at the Fae hatchling. "Is he trying to be a pirate?"

"It sure looks that way, doesn't it?" Coco agreed. Glancing around the clearing some more, he then noticed another egg at the edge by the leaves. This one was light green with darker green stripes curling around it. "What's that? Is that another egg?"

"Oh, yes..." Qubine walked over to the egg, stroking the shell with a claw. "This one is from the Wind flight. It'll need another day or two to hatch, I think. I trust you all to take care of it until then."

The dragons nodded.

"Great. Now I'll go on ahead and get some scrolls. I'll see you all later."

The clan leader departed from the lair, leaving Coco and Kladeos in charge.


End file.
